Hello Everybody! I'm new to this forum, but not to Jags. I had an '05 S-type for the last 7 years until last week when some 18yr old girl texted her way through a red light and t-boned me. No injuries, but what a PITA! In any case, I also have some past history with an XJ6 and a couple of E-types so I understand that there are always unique issues with a Jaguar.

That being said, I have my eyes on an '05 S-type R with only 78K on the clock, a clean carfax, reasonable documented dealer service history including a new water pump 3 years and 20k miles ago. It was originally a California car, was a Jaguar certified used car for the second owner and came to Michigan with its 3rd owner 3 years ago. I'm paying $10,300 for it.

I have inspected and driven it and I'm fairly comfortable with the info I have, but a PPI is not available because the vehicle is a 100 miles away and time constraints (mine) won't permit me to wait past this coming Tuesday to pick it up. At the end of the day, I'm looking for some advice on what the primary/typical issues are and timelines for major service on a supercharged s-type. I'm a 67 year old guy that can't wrench, but understands the risk of a used high performance vehicle like the R type. In fact, to prove I like pain, I've had a Porsche 928S4 for the past 14 years!

So help an old guy out and give the down and dirty of what I need to look and or watch out for and the probable associated costs, please. I am prepared to walk away if need be, but would rather utilize the knowledge and experience of this forum to help the decision process. Thanks!

 

There are many thing to take a look at to be sure you wont have to spend a lot of money in the near future.

Get the car to a shop where you can lift it off the ground look under the car for the following.

Suspension: Check the condition of all the upper and lower A-arm bushings. The rubber boots crack and then the internal lubricants leak and dry out, then they wear quickly and become loose. (Same goes for rear Tie rods.) It will cost a lot to replace the bushings and/or control arms.
Brakes and rotors: Check to see if the rotors and pads have been replaced. If not they are probably close to having to be replaced.
While the car is in the air, check to see that all the hub bearings are tight with no play.
Take a close look at the shocks. If the bellows are cracked and shocks are leaking fluid they are on their way out. (Expensive to replace or rebuild)
Engine: Check to see if any or all of coolant hoses have been replaced. If they are all original they are close to 10 years old. Ask to find out if the coolant line under the supercharger has been replaced. (If not, it is a disaster waiting to happen.)
- Find out if regular oil changes were performed. 5K to 7K max between changes. If they haven't done regular engine maintenance, this will lead to shorter engine life.

Sun roof: Open the sun roof and take a close look at the runners on each side and look for small pieces of plastic. If you see small pieces of plastic and/or the sun roof doesn't slide smoothly, It may need a rebuild kit.

that's all off the top of my head.

 

a few other things

check under spare wheel well for signs of water ingress, the boot seal and rear lights can leak.

check the climate control works ok, hot out of all vents, cold out of all vents and that you can select which vent.

check all electrical items work, all windows, chairs, steering and peddles and mirrors, lights and washers and door locks and trunk release.

check the gearbox goes through all gears in normal and sport and they are selectable. also budget for a gearbox service. check for leaks also.

make sure it has 2 "master" keys

check for codes or pending codes.

engines are pretty bullet proof but water ingress is a common problem from the bottom of the windscreen and wiper scuttle. it drips onto the coil/plug recess and destroys coils and also drips on to the electronic throttle control.

cam cover gaskets can also leak contaminating coils and causing failures.

don't forget to give it a good long test drive on all types of roads.

 

Thanks guys for your input. IIRC I had a friend a few years ago that had an XK8 and I remember that there was some relatively inexpensive plastic part that degraded on the timing gears/drive belt (or something like that) which ultimately became a catastrophic event. Is that still a problem on the 4.2 V8?

 

no, it only affected the early 4l not the 4.2

 

Don't forget the battery also, may need to be replaced if more than 4-5 years old.

 

Excellent advice above.

The supercharged versions have not proven to be any less reliable or durable than the regularly aspirated engines. If the car is accident free you should be OK.

 

Thank you again on the info about the timing whatchamacallit that used to break on the 4.0 V8; it makes me feel a little better. I read about the POS hose underneath the supercharger while I was lurking earlier... that scares me a bit because there is no indication in the service records of it being replaced. Battery is less than 6 months old so I'm good there, but that is the least of my concerns.

FWIW, I am used to an extremely helpful as well as spirited and vocal website called Rennlist dedicated to the Porsche 928. I am very pleased with the quick and helpful response on this site. I also used to have a 3 series BMW that I enjoyed but never felt much love from their site. Thank you for your thoughts and suggestions and if there is anything else that comes to mind, I'll keep following these postings looking for additions.